Modi releases National Disaster Management Plan

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), which is aimed at making the country disaster resilient and significantly reduce the losses of lives and assets during such calamities. “Based on the 'Sendai Framework', the plan covers all phases of disaster management, that is, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery. It provides for horizontal and vertical integration among all the agencies and departments of the government,” an official statement said. The Sendai Framework was adopted by United Nations member-states on March 18, 2015, at the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai city of Japan. “The plan also spells out the roles and responsibilities of all levels of government right up to panchayat and urban local body in a matrix format. The plan has a regional approach, which will be beneficial not only for disaster management but also for development planning,” it said. The plan also identifies major activities such as early warning, information dissemination, medical care, fuel, transportation, search and rescue, evacuation, etc. to serve as a checklist for agencies responding to a disaster. To prepare communities to cope with disasters, the plan emphasises on a greater need for information, education and communication activities.